Such a light is already known in the art. Nevertheless, it requires a large number of light sources to be mounted on supports, and a corresponding number of optical arrangements to be mounted, each disposed over a corresponding source so as to obtain required photometric characteristics.
It will be understood that such assembly is lengthy and fiddly and that the cost price of the resulting light is high.
The present invention seeks in particular to simplify the design and the assembly of such a signalling light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,335 discloses a signalling light for a motor vehicle, the light comprising:
a plurality of individual light-emitting diode light sources co-operating with optical arrangements; PA1 a common inner plate having a set of outwardly-flaring cavities and having openings at their small ends through which respective LEDs emit light; PA1 a common outer plate disposed substantially against the outside face of said inner plate and including an optical arrangement over each cavity for processing the light from the corresponding LED; and PA1 a closure cover situated outside the outer plate. PA1 it is fiddly to assemble insofar as all of the LEDs are soldered successively to a single printed circuit provided at the back of the inner plate; PA1 when one of the LEDs fails, repairs are lengthy and expensive insofar as the faulty LED must be located, unsoldered from the printed circuit, and replaced by a new LED; and PA1 although the above repair could indeed be performed by replacing the entire printed circuit assembly, such a solution is also expensive and complex, with removal of the printed circuit requiring the light to be almost completely dismantled. PA1 peripheral assembly means are provided for assembling the inner plate to the outer plate; peripheral assembly means are provided for assembling the outer plate to the base; and said means are preferably snap-fastening means; PA1 peripheral assembly means are provided for assembling the cover on the outer plate; PA1 said assembly means for the printed circuits comprise two webs extending along two opposite edges of said inner plate and in which notches are formed for receiving the opposite ends of said printed circuits; PA1 the LEDs mounted on a common printed circuit are connected together electrically in parallel; PA1 a plurality of printed circuits are connected in series between the terminals of a power supply, with a resistance being connected in series therewith; PA1 for each lighting function, a series-parallel circuit of LEDs is provided; PA1 said cavities of the inner plate, and said optical arrangements of the outer plate are held apart by respective link portions, and the link portions of the inner plate and the link portions of the outer plate present shapes that are complementary; PA1 the link portions of the inner plate and/or of the outer plate include appearance treatment; PA1 the optical arrangements are constituted by Fresnel lenses; PA1 each Fresnel lens comprises concentric arrangements formed on the face of the outer plate that faces the cover; and PA1 peripheral sealing means are provided between the cover and the outer plate. PA1 between the outer plate and the cover, wall-forming means are provided to separate the areas illuminated by each signalling light; PA1 a space is provided between two adjacent signalling lights, wall-forming means are provided between the outer plate and the cover to define a closed cavity between the outer plate and the cover, and catadioptric retro reflection elements are formed on the cover on its face facing the inside of the cavity; and PA1 the wall-forming means are made integrally with the outer plate and project outwardly therefrom.
Such a known light nevertheless suffers from a certain number of drawbacks: